


Lionheart

by Velvet_Velour



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Dimilix Week (Fire Emblem), Fairy Tale Curses, Feral Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, M/M, Not Beta Read, Shapeshifting, Slow-ish burn, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:53:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22752070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velvet_Velour/pseuds/Velvet_Velour
Summary: With their family fortune lost Felix has to pay off his father's debt by working for Lord Blaiddyd who was cursed by a witch and is more a beast than a man.( Dimilix Week - Day 3 - supernatural/creature AU)
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Comments: 38
Kudos: 161
Collections: 2020 Dimilix Week





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Inspired by two short stories by Angela Carter: _The Courtship of Mr Lyon_ and _The Tiger’s Bride_ (the line “My father lost me to The Beast at cards” in particular). This is pretty much a Beauty and the Beast AU.  
> Everyone is in their timeskip age, just FYI. Originally written for Dimacember but my depression hit and I didn’t want to finish it.  
> Not beta read so excuse my mistakes.

Another card lands on the table and Felix watches, his brow furrowed, as the man on the other side narrows his eyes and smiles. Cold dread seizes his heart. They barely have enough money to pay for a room for tonight. The rest of their gold now lays on the table, so carelessly tossed away by his father. It’s a laughably little sum compared to a large pile right next to it. His father wanted to – _needed_ to win.

Felix takes a deep breath. Rodrigue reaches for his half empty cup and drinks whatever’s left there. His hand is shaking, just barely so. Felix balls his hands into fists. His father’s not going to win this.

It was a bad idea to stop in this tiny village. Weary after a long ride, Rodrigue wanted them to rest and find a place for the night. The road so far was uneventful; they left behind the ruin that was once their home, and slowly make their way towards the capital. Felix had to agree with his father for once. The horses were getting tired. And so they found an inn, rented a room, and went to sleep on narrow beds that smelled like wet dogs.

Perhaps fate woke Felix up in the middle of the night so he could discover his father was missing. Cursing, he went downstairs, to a common room where food and drinks were served, and people played cards. He paid no attention to them when he arrived. He couldn’t afford buying a bowl of stew no matter how much his stomach growled, so he followed his father to their room where they chewed on some dry bread before sleep. Felix hoped his father wasn’t that stupid to try to win some money by gambling.

Then again he doesn’t respect his father that much. He should have known better.

And that’s how he ended up staring at his father’s opponent, a young man with a fiery red hair, and a knight judging from the shiny armour. Knight or not, he has way more money than Rodrigue, the head of once great now fallen House Fraldarius.

“Let’s see what you’ve got, my good man,” the knight says with a smile that reminds Felix of a cat toying with prey.

His father doesn’t speak. He lays his cards on the table with a heavy sigh. Felix takes one look at them though he doesn’t have to. He knows a lost cause when he sees one.

The knight pouts and Felix feels his blood boil. The bastard pretends he feels pity for them. His fake sympathy doesn’t stop him from placing his cards on Rodrigue’s. Three aces. There’s no way he played fair, though Felix is sure his own father cheated as well.

“It appears I’ve won.” The young man leans over the table and gathers the coins into one pile.

Rodrigue chews on his lower lip, eyes glued to the cards. He lost and has to pay. What little money they have left is already on the table and it’s not even a quarter of what the young man won.

Felix considers their options; is his father stupid enough to suggest a duel? His sword was exchanged for food and shelter two days ago, leaving him with only a dagger he keeps in a sheath on his thigh. His father still has his sword. A duel would most likely be a death sentence for them both.

Felix glances around the room. Others pay them little to no attention, just the barkeep gives them an angry glare though it seems to be directed more at their companion. His hand itches. He touches the sheath, ready to reach for the dagger if needed.

“What about the rest of the coin I’ve won, my friend?” the young man asks. His lips curl into a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “If you don’t have it then, well… That would be unfortunate.”

Rodrigue opens his lips but hesitates long enough for Felix to stop him from saying something that would doom them both.

“He doesn’t,” he speaks in a cold, emotionless voice, looking the knight in the eyes. “We have no money. My father lost all the coin we had.”

“Get back to the room, Felix,” Rodrigue’s voice is rough. “This doesn’t concern you.”

Felix scoffs. “It does, father. Unfortunately, everything you do concerns me.”

The knight observes their little squabble with amusement. “So, how are you going to pay me back? I won fair and square.”

“I doubt it. You simply proved to be a better cheater than my father.”

The man shrugs. “It doesn’t matter now, does it? I won and you owe me.”

“You’re wrong,” Rodrigue’s tone changes; the best form of defence is to attack. “You _cheated_ and now you want to rob me.”

“Oh, Goddess, please!” Felix rolls his eyes. “Don’t try to pretend you’re some offended noble when you shoved at least three cards into your sleeve. ”

“Gentlemen, please!” The knight raises his hands to silence them. “I have a fantastic offer for you. It’s your lucky day.”

His charming smile and friendly tone suggests he’s the kind of person who could sell anything to anyone.

“My lord is in need of a servant. I’m willing to _forget_ about my debt if my lord gets someone to help in his estate.”

_A servant?_ Felix’s frown deepens. He heard about slavers selling poor and unfortunate people to some rich bastards in other countries, and brining the likes of Duscur people to Fodlan.

“A life service, I presume?” Rodrigue asks. There’s a hint of disgust in his voice. Somewhere deep down Felix pities the man. Rodrigue Fraldarius was once a great lord. Now he’s about to trade the rest of his life to serve some noble. It sounds like a joke, a cautionary tale nannies would tell to spoiled rich children to teach them about humility.

Too bad for him it’s not a tale but reality.

The knight nods. “Or as long as my lord desires.”

“I’ll go,” Felix says, his voice clear. “I’ll serve your lord. He wouldn’t want some old man as a servant. I’m stronger and still young, I can work for your lord for many years to come. I’ll take my father’s place.”

The man’s lips form a perfect ‘o’ as he stares at Felix.

“Does your lord live far from here? It’s best if we leave now, I don’t want to spend any more time in this place.”

He gets up from his chair. Thankfully he took his coat with him so he doesn’t have to go back upstairs and possibly complicate things by having another _talk_ with his father.

“Felix,” Rodrigue turns to him and looks at his son, truly looks at him; Felix can’t recall the last time it happened. “You can’t. It was my mistake. I can’t… I can’t lose you, Felix. Not you.”

Rodrigue looks like a shadow. Felix can barely stand to look at him. The man he sees in front of him is not the man he used to be. It’s a broken shell of a man who has nothing in common with Felix’s proud father.

“You lost me years ago.”

His voice is cold, eyes looking at Rodrigue without any trace of remorse. His father may be a shadow of his former self but it’s Felix who’s like a statue, emotionless and cold. No matter how hard he searches, he can’t find any love for his father left in his heart.

Rodrigue doesn’t try to stop him. He lets out a heavy sigh, knowing Felix is right. They are like strangers travelling together. Whatever bond they had was lost forever.

“Alright, then,” the knight clears his throat. “So you want to repay your father’s debt and come with me to work for my lord?”

“Yes. Are we done here? Let’s leave.”

Sylvain gives Felix a confused look. “Don’t you want to say anything to your father?”

“I told him everything I wanted to.”

“Don’t you have a bag or something?”

“No,” Felix barks, growing more irritated. “Are we going to meet your lord or do you want to stand in the cold asking me stupid questions?”

The man shakes his head. “Alright, no more questions. Name’s Sylvain by the way. Sylvain Gautier.”

The name sounds familiar but Felix can’t quite remember when he heard it. “Felix Fraldarius.”

Sylvain reaches his hand for a handshake but Felix chooses to ignore it. They’re not here to become friends.

Realizing his handshake request was ignored Sylvain presses his lips into a line and awkwardly scratches his head. “It may sound weird but nice to meet you. Let’s go. My horse’s in the stable.”

Felix answers with an irritated glare. Sylvain takes the hint, shuts up, and they make their way to the door.

When they are nearly at the door, a large man stands in Sylvain’s way. He looks like he’s ready to fight but Sylvain pays him no attention. The man spits at the floor, muttering something under his breath. It sounds like, “Traitor”, and Felix puts his hand on the dagger.

“Don’t bother,” Sylvain opens the door and waits for Felix to go first. “It’s nothing.”

_Didn’t look like nothing_ , Felix thinks but stays silent. He doesn’t want Sylvain asking him questions, so it’s only fair he shouldn’t bother the man.

The night is not that cold yet Felix feels chills run down his spine when they step outside. The stable is right next to the inn, Felix’s horse waiting there for him. It’s dark outside, perhaps they shouldn’t ride at night. When Felix voices his concerns Sylvain explains he knows the road well, and that they’ll arrive at his lord’s estate in no time.

“I serve lord Blaiddyd,” he adds. “Have you heard about him?”

Felix shakes his head. Sylvain seems pleased with the answer as if he was afraid the lord’s name would make Felix reconsider the offer. It’s too late anyway, so Felix may as well accept his fate.

They soon leave the village and follow an empty road through fields and a small forest. Sylvain’s armour shines in the moonlight, the sight awakening an old memory in Felix. But it’s not his brother who rides in front of him and Felix shakes his head, suddenly irritated. There’s no use thinking about the dead.

For the most time Sylvain doesn’t talk. Only when Felix notices a large mansion surrounded by a fence in the distance, the man slows down so they can ride next to each other.

“There are few things you must know before we meet lord Blaiddyd.” Sylvain glances at Felix. There’s a pang of worry in his voice. “Me and two other people work for him but our relationship is, well, rather tense.”

“What do you mean by that?” Felix asks with a scowl.

“He, uh,” Sylvain lets out a sigh. “He doesn’t allow us inside the house. I take care of the horses, Mercedes brings him food, and Dedue is in charge of the garden. To tell you the truth, if we didn’t know him before the accident, we would have left years ago.”

Felix grits his teeth. All of this sounds more and more complicated. He’s not worried about getting sold to slavers anymore. No, he has other problems now.

“What accident?”

Sylvain brushes a strand of hair from his face. “As ridiculous this may sound my lord was cursed by a witch.”

Felix gives him a look. _Do you think I’m stupid?_

“I know how it sounds but you’ll understand once we get to the mansion. Believe me,” Sylvain adds and winks.

Felix huffs in annoyance. He’s known Sylvain for a mere hour and the man’s already beyond irritating.

“If lord Blaiddyd doesn’t allow you inside the house,” Felix says, hoping he pronounced the name right, “how can you still work for him? And why does he need me?”

“We go way back. We were raised together. I grew up in that place,” he points at the estate. It looks abandoned, no light visible anywhere inside or outside it, no smoke coming from the chimney. “Dimitri’s, I mean, lord Blaiddyd’s father was the kindest man I’ve known. As for you…” he scratches his cheek. “I know I told you my lord needs you but that’s not entirely true.”

“Then why are you taking me to him?” Felix barks. His anger grows with every passing moment. Why is it so difficult for this man to be honest?

“Because Dimitri needs help. He doesn’t realise it _yet_ but maybe once you’re there, and there’s someone to keep an eye on him, he’ll understand.”

_Do you want me to babysit him?_ , Felix thinks, more confused by Sylvain’s every word. He sighs. The mansion is not far, so he may as well wait and see what Sylvain really means by all that.

Sylvain unlocks the front gate with a key and they ride through a road leading to the mansion. The house is huge. Felix looks up, taking in the sight of it, calculating in his head how many room does it have. Upon closer inspection he notices some of many problems he’ll have to deal with. Broken or dirty windows, even the main door is damaged, as is someone repeatedly hit it with a sword or some large animal scratched it.

Behind the mansion there’s a barn and they leave the horses tied to a post there. Sylvain doesn’t take his sword with him, only a bag he puts on his shoulder. Felix looks around. The mansion itself looks like an abandoned ruin while everything else around it seems to be in a good condition. What Sylvain told him about the lord’s servants not being allowed inside may be true.

“It’s best if we go through the main entrance,” Sylvain points out. Felix doesn’t ask what’s the reason.

Five stone steps lead up to the wooden door with a brass door knocker shaped like a lion’s head. Felix traces one of many long scratches on the wood. The shapes are odd; it doesn’t look like someone used a sword.

“I wasn’t lying when I told you my lord was cursed by a witch,” Sylvain says when they step inside a spacious hall. “I’ll tell you more in a second but please wait here and don’t move.”

Before Felix can react Sylvain disappears in another room. Felix exhales. The hall is dark, he can barely see anything. Torn curtains hang by the tall windows, the floor is littered with pieces of broken furniture, dirty rags and pieces of paper. Felix wrinkles his nose. There’s dust everywhere. What sort of lord lives like this?

Sylvain comes back with a lit torch in hand. In the light the place looks worse.

“Lord Dimitri Alexandre is the heir to the once great House Blaiddyd,” Sylvain speaks. He looks up at the ceiling, waits for a moment before continuing. “His parents are dead, killed by a vile woman who had arcane powers at her disposal. Lord Dimitri was… still is, a good man. The curse changed him, both his body and soul.”

A loud _thud_ comes from upstairs, like something heavy fell on the floor. Felix instinctively reaches for his dagger.

“You seem like a brave man, Felix.” Sylvain looks him in the eyes, his charming smile gone, his expression serious. “No matter what happens don’t be afraid. My lord won’t hurt you.”

Felix looks up at the staircase, the steps barely visible in the torchlight. The darkness seems to grow larger, the shadows move. There’s _something_ up there, waiting – for what, Felix’s not sure. To attack them? Sylvain would have warned him, right? He’s but a stranger, so perhaps he brought Felix here as an offering to a monster.

First comes a growl, low and deep.

Felix clutches the dagger, ready to defend himself. He squints at the darkness but sees nothing on the wide staircase. Whatever’s there doesn’t have any problems with seeing him, however.

Then a blue eye appears in the darkness and Felix gasps when the shadows move.

A beast stalks down the stairs. It’s a lion, so big Felix has to take a step back, his instinct urging him to _Run, now!_ The lion moves quietly like a shadow, its massive body makes no sound other than the low growl. Its teeth are bared; the beast is ready to gobble him up.

“My lord, before you do anything, I need you to listen!” Sylvain pleads, stepping in front of Felix to shield him.

Felix gives the man a confusing look, his mind refusing to believe in the implications of Sylvain’s words. This can’t be lord Blaiddyd.

_Maybe what he said about the curse was true after all?_ , a small voice whispers in Felix’s head.

Another growl, the blue eye shines. The lion comes closer, stands in all his glory just few steps from them. His mane is long and messy, strands of hair cover his right eye. His left eye shines with some unnatural magic, the intensity of his gaze making Felix uneasy. It’s too human for the beast.

“I have an offer for you,” Sylvain continues. “But you must listen to me.”

In response the beast bares more of his teeth.

Sylvain looks over his shoulder at Felix. “My lord can be a bit, ah, _difficult_ at times.”

Then the lion makes a move like he was about to stand on his hind legs. Felix gasps, seeing his body glow faintly with a golden light. The massive body shifts and changes in a way Felix’s mind can’t comprehend.

There’s something in the air, a strange force coming from the beast. _Magic!_ , that small voice in Felix’s head whispers. The dagger in his hand feels as useless as a twig.

“SYLVAIN!” comes a roar. It’s not that different from the lion’s growling despite coming from a man not a beast.

A man stands in the lion’s place. There’s something wild about him. Anger burns in his blue eye, the other one is covered with tangled hair, only a bit of an old scar visible on the cheek. His blond hair looks no different than a mane, dirty and unkempt, reaching his shoulders. The man is tall, with scars of different shapes and sizes all over his muscular body. He leans forward, hands resembling claws, as if he was getting ready to pounce.

And he is naked like the day he was born.

Felix takes a step back, not because he’s scared but the way this situation developed makes him so confused he doesn’t know what to do anymore.

This beast of a man can’t be Lord Dimitri.

Sylvain bows his head. “My lord,” he speaks, his voice nonchalant like nothing unusual wasn’t happening. “Allow me to explain– ”

“Get out!” Dimitri growls, blue eye shining. “How dare you bring someone here, to my house! I thought I was clear about your orders!”

“Well, actually,” Sylvain begins and pats Felix on the shoulder. “Like I said, I came here with an offer. We, your humble servants, all know how much your mansion means to you. Let’s face it, my lord, it will soon turn into ruin if you don’t get help to keep it in order. And Goddess knows you _need_ someone to help you here…”

Dimitri’s eye is on Felix who straightens his back and doesn’t flinch in the slightest. Felix narrows his eyes at this madman in front of him. _Will someone tell him to put on some clothes..?_

“Get out!” Dimitri repeats. “Get out right now or else– ”

“Stop your growling for a minute and look around you,” Felix interrupts before he can stop himself. Sylvain gasps audibly and gives him a worried look that Felix pointedly ignores. He takes a step closer to the beast. “Sylvain brought me here so I can work for you, and now I can see why you’d need my help. How long until the chandelier falls on your head?” He points up. “And this thing?” he stomps on his feet causing a cloud of dust. “It doesn’t resemble a carpet anymore. What kind of lord are you when you live like this? I can’t help you, this place is already a ruin.”

For a moment Dimitri just stares, face blank. Then he looks around as if seeing the state of the room for the first time. The torch in Sylvain’s hand doesn’t help much but perhaps it’s a good thing Felix can’t see how dirty this place really is. He wrinkles his nose smelling something foul in the air. Maybe that damned beast brought his prey here, a deer or a rabbit, and there’s a decaying carcass laying in the corner.

“My lord, please,” Sylvain pleads. There’s genuine concern in his voice; he truly cares about the beast. “ You won’t accept help from the people who know you, your friends,” there’s a pang of sadness in his tone. “ But please let this stranger help you or at least let him bring this place to its former glory. He has a debt to pay and he agreed to serve you.”

Dimitri huffs in annoyance. His glare lands on Felix again. “Such impertinence! You speak so freely despite being a servant. You have no respect for a lord!”

“I do have respect for lords,” Felix replies in a calm voice; this spoiled lion can’t make him angry. “But you’re far from any lord I’ve known. You turn into a lion but you more resemble some other thing that only seeks to destroy. A boar destroyed my garden once. You’re no different than that boar. And the garden is your mansion if you didn’t catch that.”

“A _boar_?” Dimitri repeats, his eye going wide. He sounds wounded. The face he makes would be comical in any other situation.

“You heard what I said.” Felix frowns. He puts his dagger back in its sheath. “I saw the marks on the front door. What lord destroys his own house like that? Sylvain wants me to help but what can I do when the lord who owns the place doesn’t care about it at all?”

Much to his surprise Dimitri doesn’t attack. Moments ago the lion was ready to tear them into pieces. The man, however, has more self–control. It’s hard to say what’s the nature of Dimitri’s curse or how much control the man has over the beast.

“Perhaps I overreacted,” Dimitri twists his lips. “I should control my anger. You’re right, the place doesn’t look good. I tend to be… careless sometimes.”

Felix rolls his eyes.

“Ha ha, yes, _sometimes_ ,” Sylvain forces a laugh. He reaches inside the bag on his shoulder and takes out a blanket he tosses to Dimitri. A faint blush appears on the man’s face as he wraps it around his waist.

“My offer is simple, my lord,” Sylvain continues. “This is Felix Fraldarius. Allow him to work for you, clean up the place. Dedue, Mercedes and I will continue our duties but at least allow this man to stay in the house.”

Dimitri’s eye is on Felix, his gaze suspicious. “A stranger who’s not afraid to speak so bluntly.”

“Truth is better than false flattery,” Felix retorts.

Dimitri nods. “I guess you’re right. But make no mistake, you’re still an intruder here. Do what you’re supposed to do and nothing else. I do not wish to be disturbed.”

“I’ve no intention prying into your personal matters,” Felix replies with a scowl. “I’m here to do my job, nothing more.”

“Very well.” Dimitri takes one more look at Sylvain before he leaves them, walking up the stairs and disappearing in one of the many rooms in the house.

“That went better than expected, if I may be honest,” Sylvain sighs with relief. He turns to Felix, an apologetic smile on his face. “Thanks for not running away. I’ll show you to your bedroom but to tell you the truth feel free to stay in whatever room you prefer. I don’t think Dimitri will mind as long as you don’t disturb him.”

He gestures to Felix to follow him upstairs. Felix can’t help but wonder how much work waits for him. The place looks long abandoned. Thick cobwebs hang everywhere, the curtains are torn, the carpet under their feet has too many holes to count. A layer of dust covers every surface. Felix isn’t sure if it’s possible for one person to take care of this mess.

They walk through a long hallway until Sylvain stops in front one of many doors. He pushes it open to reveal a bedroom. A big bed stands by the wall, next to a window. There’s a stone fireplace, a table with a chair, and a wardrobe. Like in every other room there’s too much dust and cobwebs here.

“I’d suggest you stay in this room,” Sylvain says. He lights an old candle standing on the table, then puts his torch next to the fireplace. He opens the wardrobe, its door creak loudly, and takes out a pillow and a blanket.

“I’ll bring you some firewood, and once you get the fire started this room won’t be so bad.” He gives Felix a reassuring smile which is met with an irritated frown. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Once he’s alone Felix lets out a deep sigh. What did he get into? He’s supposed to live in this huge mansion with a beast. It’s madness.

He finds an old shirt on the floor and uses it to wipe dust and cobwebs from the window, table and chair. He checks the fireplace, tosses the shirt into it and waits until Sylvain comes back. There’s no sound coming from anywhere, the house silent. Cold dread settles in his bones and Felix shivers.

Sylvain is back with a bundle of wood he sets by the fireplace. When the flames light up the room he explains more about the situation.

“I come here every day to take care of horses. If you ever need to talk to me just go to the barn.”

“You really can’t go inside the house?” Felix asks, arms crossed on his chest.

“Yes, and I guess now’s the only time I can break that rule. Lord Dimitri prefers to stay alone. He made it clear no one can enter the mansion.”

_Lord Dimitri is a fool_ , Felix thinks.

“You’ll see two more people coming here. Mercedes brings food in the morning. She leaves a basket by the front door. Dedue is in charge of the garden. Don’t be, uh, alarmed when you see him,” Sylvain laughs weakly. “He looks intimidating but he’s a good man.”

“Why do you all bother coming here if lord Dimitri doesn’t want to see you?”

“It used to be different,” Sylvain says with a sad smile. “I told you I grew up in here. I remember how it was before the witch cursed him. His parents are dead, he doesn’t have anyone else. I can’t leave him.”

Felix observes the man carefully. He can’t quite decide if he admires his loyalty or not.

“Alright, I should get going.” Sylvain pats Felix on the shoulder. “Remember, if you need anything ask me, Mercedes or Dedue. And please, don’t challenge Dimitri. He’s a kind man but the beast makes him lose his temper easily.”

“Where does he sleep anyway?”

“In the attic. Don’t go in there, he doesn’t like being disturbed,” Sylvain adds with a worried look on his face.

When the door closes behind Sylvain, Felix glances around the room once more. He tosses more firewood into the flames, takes off his coat and hangs it on the chair. He kicks off his boots then gets in bed.

He can’t fall asleep, plagued by the thought of the beast being nearby. What if the kind lord is not kind at all, and the lion gets hungry? Whatever that Mercedes woman brings him can’t be enough for a massive lion. Felix keeps his dagger with him all night.

He falls asleep after an hour. In his dream he wanders long hallways with a torch in hand. He pats his side but he’s dagger is gone. A blue eye shines in the dark, Felix stops and waits for the beast to attack. The torch falls from his hand and he’s left in complete darkness.

Felix awakens with a jolt. He lies in bed, confused for a moment as to where he is. He can’t quite remember his dream though it makes him uneasy.

He gets up, promptly puts on his boots and jacket. He looks through the window; it seems it’s still early. His stomach growls. He hopes the woman Sylvain mentioned arrives soon.

In the daylight the destruction and ruin in the house looks way worse. Felix goes downstairs, noticing scratches on the walls and stairs. The entrance hall is filled with all kinds of garbage, not only torn pages and an old rug, but pieces of furniture as well, and broken porcelain that maybe was once a set of teacups or plates.

The wine cellar is the next room to explore. Felix grabs a torch and walks down a stone staircase, hand pressed to a wall. His steps are careful; he doesn’t quite like the cold draft coming from the dark room. The cellar is filled with shelves full of wine bottles, and there are some broken ones on the ground too. Felix doesn’t have time to count them all right now, besides he doesn’t want to be here longer than absolutely necessary. The cold, dark room reminds him of a grave. He takes one more look around, estimates there have to be about one hundred bottles here, and promptly leaves. Cellar will be the last room to clean, he decides.

Felix doesn’t want to think how he’s going to clean it up. He’ll inspect the rest of the mansion later, he decides, and goes to the door after hearing a knock. Before he opens the door he picks a bag of coins left there. Confused, he weighs it in his hand. He opens the entrance door to see a pretty woman waiting there.

“Hello!” She greets him with a warm smile. She’s wearing rather plain clothes, a long woollen coat buttoned all the way up to protect her from a chilly morning wind, a brown skirt and long boots. She holds a large basket in her hands. “You must be Felix, right? Sylvain told me about you. Nice to meet you, I’m Mercedes.”

“I’ve got this,” he holds up the bag of coins. “It’s for you, I assume. Putting it behind the door isn’t the best hiding spot. Is this how lord Dimitri usually pays his servants?”

She chuckles. “No one comes here, don’t worry. People are too afraid to come anywhere near the estate.”

“Then why do you serve lord Blaiddyd?” he asks, passing her the coins. “You’re young, you could work for any other man than the one who doesn’t even allow you to step inside his house.”

The expression on her face changes just barely so. When she speaks there’s a hint of worry in her voice. “I’ve known lord Dimitri since we were children. And I’m happy I can help him even though I can’t do much.”

“Isn’t your husband against you coming here?”

Mercedes shakes her head. “I don’t have a husband. Besides, why would anyone have anything against me bringing food here? I already help out in church, prepare meals for the children living in an orphanage. It’s not a problem for me to prepare more food and share it with lord Dimitri.”

_A literal saint_ , Felix thinks, rather bitterly.

“I used to live here,” Mercedes adds. “And lord Dimitri is a good man. There’s no reason others should fear him.”

“I don’t think there are many lords who can transform into a giant lion,” Felix says with a scowl. Mercedes clearly hasn’t talked to Dimitri in a while if she still calls him ‘a good man’.

He doesn’t want to argue so he says his goodbye. He didn’t come here to chat but to work and Goddess knows there’s a lot of work waiting for him.

“I brought you cake,” Mercedes adds before she leaves. “Hope you like it! And if there’s anything you need please don’t hesitate to ask.”

He nods and closes the door. Telling her he hates sweets would be rude, and he doesn’t want to upset the one person who brings him food.

His stomach growls again, so he takes the basket to the kitchen. The room is a disaster but he doesn’t want to spend more time on cleaning it yet. He only wipes the table and chairs so he can sit down and eat in peace.

_Coffee would be nice_ , he muses, chewing bread with cheese. Water has to be enough for now.

Dimitri hasn’t shown up and Felix isn’t going to wait for him. In one of the cupboards he finds a silver tray that looks more or less presentable once he wipes it clean. He puts food on it, including two pieces of cake he’s not going to eat anyway, and heads upstairs.

He spends some time wandering the hallways, growing more irritated with every passing minute. Dimitri is nowhere to be seen, the rooms empty. The only place that’s left is the attic. He knocks on the door. Before he can reach for the handle, however, a growl comes from the other side.

_This is where the beast is hiding._

“Stop your growling, my lord, I brought you breakfast.” Felix puts the tray on the floor. “I left it by the door. I’ll leave you alone, as you wish.”

No answer this time and Felix doesn’t have time to stand there and check if Dimitri has breakfast. Lord Blaiddyd may be in need a babysitter but Felix won’t be one. He has other things to do, after all.

He opens windows in every room so the warm autumn air can get inside the mansion. Then he tidies his bedroom. Unlike the beast he refuses to live in filth. He takes care of his bed, chooses the finest bedding he can find in this godforsaken place (and the only one that doesn’t have a suspicious smell), scrubs the floor, cleans the windows and the fireplace.

Then it’s time for laundry though most things he throws out anyway. Although Dimitri doesn’t like guests, this house needs new blankets, pillows and beddings, among other things. He makes a list of things to buy. He also throws away most clothes he finds in the dusty wardrobes. Hopefully the lord of the house keeps his clothing in his own room.

Speaking of which…

Once he’s done with his bedroom Felix goes upstairs. He knocks on the door and waits. The silver tray is gone, Dimitri must have taken it inside.

A growl comes from behind him, nearly giving him a heart attack. _How can such monstrous beast walk so silently? Damn him!_ , he lets out a sigh of frustration. Felix turns to see a big lion creeping up the stairs towards him.

Another growl and the lion is right in front of him. Felix presses his back to the door. _Is that supposed to scare me?_ , he asks in his thoughts, a challenge in his eyes. He wrinkles his nose; the beast _smells_.

“You need a bath, you beast.”

And there it is again, all anger gone replaced by surprise. Is Dimitri not accustomed to people speaking to him so bluntly? Not many would dare to do that when facing a giant lion, that’s true.

“I’m cleaning the mansion,” Felix continues, unfazed by the lion’s stare. “You know, what I’m here for? Can I get in there to open a window at least? I won’t disturb your brooding, my lord, don’t worry.”

There’s a familiar tingling on Felix’s skin, a reaction to magic, as the lion transforms right in front of his eyes. It happens so quickly Felix can’t quite grasp the way it works. A moment ago a lion was ready to pounce at him; now there’s a tall man there, angrily balling his hands into fists. The eye is the same, though, for the beast and for the man.

Dimitri is, like always, not bothered by his own nakedness. Felix looks up at the ceiling. He doesn’t want to be caught staring.

“You mustn’t go in there!” Dimitri’s rough voice is not that different than the lion’s growl. “I forbid you from coming there!”

“As you wish, my lord,” Felix spits, words laced with venom. If only he could do his job without any interruptions, that would be great. Too bad Dimitri gets in the way.

“Leave, Felix,” Dimitri says as he puts his large hand on the doorknob. “Remember the attic is off limits for you. This is my first and last warning.”

Felix frowns, his blood boiling. The man, _that beast!_ , is so infuriating he momentarily regrets coming here. He should have challenged Sylvain to a duel instead of accepting his father’s defeat. At least he wouldn’t have to deal with that insufferable man beast.

Felix scoffs and walks past Dimitri without a word. If the beast wants to stay in the attic all the time and wallow in self–pity then Felix sure as hell isn’t going to stop him.

* * *

“What do you think of my cooking? Is everything to your liking?”

Mercedes is the kind of person who’s friendly and kind even to a complete stranger like Felix. He doesn’t like overly friendly people, they irritate him to no end, and Mercedes seems like the type who wants to be friends with everyone.

“It’s good,” Felix says, grabbing a basket full of food from her. It’s heavier than yesterday, and from the looks of it she must have packed even more food.

“When Sylvain told me you’ll be living here I couldn’t quite believe it,” she says, a polite smile never leaving her lips. “I also didn’t know how much food should I pack for you and lord Dimitri. His eating habits can be, uh… strange.”

She gives him an apologetic look. Felix frowns. _It’s not your fault Dimitri is a mess_ , he wants to tell her but doesn’t. Frankly, he’d like to end this _friendly chat_ and get back inside. If there’s one thing Felix hates it’s small talk.

“Well, I’m not going to spoon feed him. He can’t be that dumb to starve himself but who knows,” he shrugs.

Mercedes covers her mouth with her hand as she laughs. “I don’t think he’d appreciate if you wanted to feed him. He’s got a bad temper sometimes.”

“ _Sometimes_ ,” Felix scoffs. “I should get going. Thank you for the food.”

“You’re welcome, Felix. Let me know if you need anything. And please say hello to Dimitri from me, I haven’t seen him in some time.”

“Can’t promise that,” he says before closing the door behind him.

* * *

Although he should focus on other things first, Felix is drawn to the armoury. More importantly, to Dimitri’s impressive collection of weapons. The problem is that half of the them are rusty and can’t be used.

Felix spends the afternoon going through every single piece of equipment, putting the good ones on the side so he can take proper care of them later, and taking the rusty ones outside. He puts the useless weapons and armour parts on an old wheelbarrow next to the barn. Unsure if he can leave the estate (probably not), makes a mental note to himself to tell Sylvain to get rid of them.

He gets back inside, puts more wood in the fireplace, and continues his work. The armoury shouldn’t be the first room he cleans, especially when the kitchen is such a mess Felix dreads to go in there, yet it brings him some odd sense of comfort to spend time taking care of weapons. He can’t do much without any proper equipment but he can at least do something about all that dust and cobwebs covering every surface in the room.

There’s an impressive armour set that looks more expensive than anything Felix ever wore. It’s in a good enough state so Felix puts it on a training dummy near the window. It’s decorated with a symbol on the chestpiece. Felix traces it with his finger. He’s seen the symbol in the mansion; it’s the crest of House Blaiddyd. _Doesn’t mean much now, I suppose_ , he thinks with a bitter smile.

Hearing a scratching on the floor Felix turns his head to the door to see the lion lurking there, giant claws digging into the hardwood floor leaving deep scratches.

His brows knit. “Yes, I’m working as you can see. Do you need anything, my lord?”

It’s best to avoid calling the beast a _boar_ to not make him mad for no real reason, because Goddess knows the man has a temper. Calling him _my lord_ sounds more like a mockery in his lips than a proper way a servant should address a noble.

The lion emits a growl, one of many Felix has heard so far, before he turns away and disappears. Felix shrugs. At least he can get back to work. He finds two wooden swords used for training, inspects them for any damage to see they’re in a good condition. Some part of his mind misses training, fighting and winning. He grips the hilt of the wooden sword, it’s nothing like a real weapon yet still it awakens a yearning somewhere deep inside Felix.

His body moves on its own. He rushes forward, stabs an invisible opponent, then spins around in a fluid motion that makes him look like a dancer. He then glances at the sword in his hand, then at a training dummy in the corner. If he could drag it outside, spend some time practicing… All this dusting and sweeping isn’t good for his health, he should spend more time outside.

When he puts the sword back he has a smirk on his lips. He can spend time training outside until the first snow. And if Lord Dimitri has something against it then… Well, he can go to hell. Felix’s not his slave and deserves some free time from the endless chores.

Motivated by the plan he finished tidying the room quickly. He still needs to polish everything but that’s a task for another day. He eats the leftover bread and cheese from Mercedes, hangs up the laundry in the garden and makes sure he has enough firewood in his bedroom. In one of the guest rooms he finds a fur coat; it’s the right size for him so he takes it. He damn sure won’t ask the beast for permission. If Dimitri doesn’t care Felix is throwing out half of his belongings when cleaning, he shouldn’t care about taking some old coat.

Of course the lion didn’t think about it but Felix needs some new clothes. He decides to ask Mercedes about it. As much as he doesn’t like her constant attempts to have a _friendly conversation_ with him, he feels she’s the kind of person who likes helping others. She can get him some clothes without problems if he asks.

* * *

Felix wakes up in the middle of the night because of a loud thud. Claws scratch the floor, there’s some growling coming from upstairs and Felix tosses and turns in his bed, cursing under his breath.

Just when he considers ignoring the lion’s warning and going to the attic the noise stops. Felix huffs, annoyed. He tosses two more logs into the fireplace and goes back to sleep.

In his dream he wanders through a wide corridor, a torch in one hand, a wooden sword in the other. Something lurks in the shadows. He turns to see what it is but the beast doesn’t want to be seen. He spots one blue eye shining in the darkness, its icy glare freezing Felix in place. The beast will attack if he moves. The sword is heavy in his hand. He isn’t quick enough to–

Felix wakes up, his mind in a state of panic. His head spins and for a moment he can’t say where he is. No matter how hard he thinks, he doesn’t remember anything about his dream.


	2. Chapter 2

Felix wakes up in the early morning and lies in bed listening to overwhelming silence. He walks to the window to see the mansion surrounded by thick mist, sun barely piercing through clouds. It’s like the house is a ship sailing on a sea of fog.

Felix shivers in the cold. He hates the noise the beast makes yet this deafening silence is even worse.

For the next few days Felix works tirelessly, his mind occupied by one single goal – to make the mansion liveable not only for the lord but more importantly for himself. He doesn’t go anywhere near the attic; he’s learnt his lesson. He’s all alone in this place. Just him and the beast. Loneliness creeps up his spine. He forces himself to ignore it.

The mansion is huge. It’s a house fit for a lord and his lovely wife, and a group of children running between rosebushes in the garden. It’s the kind of house that would have a dozen servants employed to keep it in the best condition.

Lord Blaiddyd has no wife nor children, and there’s only one servant allowed to step inside the house. The garden looks fine because Dimitri tolerates Dedue to some extend and allows him to tend to the area around the mansion. Mercedes also sweeps the road leading to the entrance when she comes to leave a basket of food at the door. The stable is the only place that looks like it belongs to a noble. Horses are well fed and taken care of, Sylvain makes sure of that.

_Fighting with this mess is the highest form of punishment_ , Felix thinks as he rummages through the wardrobe in his room looking for anything he could wear. He pulls out an old shirt and a pair of brown breeches. Both are too big for him but he doesn’t care about it, just rolls up the sleeves and gets to work.

As he goes downstairs to the entrance hall and begins sweeping, Felix wonders what would happen if he refused to work. Would the beast gobble him up? It wouldn’t be a problem for that gigantic lion. Dimitri has a temper so who knows. And Felix himself isn’t helping, calling the man a _boar_ of all things. _What was I thinking..?_ , he shakes his head. It would be better to _not_ anger the man who owns his life for Goddess knows how long. Felix has always had anger issues.

What’s next once he’s done with cleaning the house? Felix grips the broom so hard his knuckles go white. Will the beast kick him out like the rest of his servants? Will his debt be paid? Felix can’t imagine going back to his father, wherever the hell that man is. He doesn’t miss him in the slightest.

Days go by one by one, and Felix works from the early morning to the middle of the night, only allowing himself short breaks to eat and a longer one for training with the wooden sword. The lion doesn’t bother him. At times Felix sees him lurking around, watching him train but he always disappears when spotted.

The armoury is done so he moves to the entrance hall, thinking it’s the first room one sees when visiting the mansion. It should look presentable at least. Though he can’t imagine who in their right mind would visit the beast.

He goes to bed exhausted, doesn’t dream about anything and wakes up in a cold room because he didn’t put enough logs in the fire. Cursing, he wraps a blanket around himself and goes to the fireplace. Once dressed he goes downstairs, his stomach grumbling. He waits outside by the entrance until Mercedes arrives, carrying two big baskets with her.

Unlike Sylvain who comes here on a horse, she comes here on foot making Felix wonder if she lives in the neighbourhood and how far is her house from the beast’s estate. The good side of this arrangement is that Felix doesn’t have to go to a nearby town to buy groceries. The downside is that Mercedes likes _talking_.

“I hope the clothes I brought you will fit. If you ever need anything else, just ask,” she says with that kind smile of hers. Felix couldn’t hate her even if he tried. “I added a piece of cake for you. I hope you like it. It’s Dimitri’s favourite.” She chuckles. “Please don’t tell him I said that. I believe it’s not good for his image if he admits to liking sweets, don’t you think?”

Felix merely nods. When she’s gone he goes upstairs and puts the food on a silver platter by the door to the attic. He gives the cake to the beast. He didn’t have the heart to tell Mercedes he doesn’t like sweet things.

Before he leaves he puts his ear to the door to listen. No more growling or scratching. No noise is coming from the other side as if the lion wasn’t there. Maybe he’s asleep after all that yowling at night Felix had to listen to? It doesn’t make Felix’s situation any easier as the weight of silence weighs heavily on him. The mansion feels even bigger as he walks between the walls.

He begins his training around noon. It’s a sunny autumn day and he practises for some time, relentlessly attacking the training dummy. He takes a short break after an hour; he misses the way his arms ache after an intense workout.

Felix wipes the sweat off his forehead, panting, when he feels being watched. He grits his teeth and turns to see who’s behind him. It’s too early for Sylvain to come, besides the man would surely greet Felix and start talking. He squints at a large shape sitting among the rosebushes.

The lion watches Felix like a hawk as he sits there unmoving, resembling a statue. The lower part of his body is muddy. _What do you want, beast?_ , Felix wants to ask but doesn’t, just shoots Dimitri an angry glare and goes back to training. As much as the lion’s stare annoys him, he doesn’t want to pay him any attention hoping Dimitri leaves him alone. And sure enough, the beast soon disappears without Felix even noticing. 

In the afternoon while he polishes silverware he found in the dining room, Felix hears whistling. He peeks through the window to spot Sylvain tending to horses. The man lets the animals out on a field surrounded by a wooden fence. Felix watches the horses run, so free, growing irrationally irritated with every passing moment.

_A servant to the beast, locked inside his empty house_. Felix looks at his own reflection in the window. He doesn’t like what he sees.

With a growl he leaves the silverware and decides to chop some wood. The training wasn’t enough. He needs to get tired, exhausted even, so he spends the rest of the day chopping wood, and then, when he can barely feel his arms, carries the firewood to every room that has a fireplace.

It’s dark when he sits in a bathroom next to his own room and soaks in a small tub. The fireplace emits a warm glow but it doesn’t offer that much comfort in the silent, lonely room.

Suddenly Felix hears a loud thud and almost jumps out of the tub.

It’s that damned beast again, doing Goddess knows what. From the sounds it seems like Dimitri wants to completely demolish the place. Something heavy falls on the floor, followed by a roar – not of anger but of _pain_.

_Does the stupid beast intend to kill himself?_ Felix curses as he climbs out of the tub. He puts on his clothes and goes upstairs, accompanied by loud thuds coming from the attic.

Before he gets to the door, however, the noise stops. Felix listens by the door. Dimitri must still be there but Felix doesn’t hear a thing.

He huffs in annoyance. He will never understand the man…

When he goes to bed Felix listens for a while, expecting to hear the lion in the attic. There’s only silence, and eventually he falls asleep.

* * *

Felix spends two more days in a similar way. Nights get colder, days aren’t that warm anymore, reminding Felix it’ll be winter soon and he needs to hurry up and finish basic repairs before the first snow. He talks to Mercedes in the morning, brings the beast food, eats breakfast. Then he cleans the entrance hall, and he’s proud of his work as he looks around after the last thing that was left to do: hanging up curtains. Then he moves to the next place, the dining room, and starts with throwing out an old carpet that’s been half eaten by moths. One wall is made up entirely of windows, from the ceiling to the floor, and Felix spends one whole afternoon cleaning them, standing on a tall ladder.

Through the window he notices Dedue raking leaves. Unlike Mercedes who always stays to chat with Felix, or Sylvain who tends to whistle and talk to the horses, Dedue works in silence. Felix observes him for a bit, that gentle giant taking care of the plants, before returning to work. When he first saw him the other day it was a surprise to discover Dedue is from Duscur. They have a certain… reputation. Then again, Felix doesn’t want to pry into Dimitri’s personal life, and asking him why he employs a man from Duscur would be prying.

After an evening bath, the one comforting thing Felix allows himself, as he combs his hair he hears a distant roar. He rushes to the window to see what happened. He hasn’t seen Dimitri all day. He spots the huge lion standing in the middle of the field. His golden fur appears silver in the moonlight. The beast stands there, unmoving, a sight to behold. No matter what Felix thinks of Dimitri, he has to admit the lion looks majestic. Perhaps the beast, too, feels all alone in this world. It’s a curse, that much Felix knows, and he should always regard it as such. Yet there’s an undeniable beauty in Dimitri’s beastly form, so much in fact that Felix watches him and for a brief moment he wonders how would it feel to comb his fingers through that magnificent mane.

The beast’s roar wakes Felix up from the trance. The lion runs away into the night. Felix curses under his breath. He falls asleep soon after and dreams of chasing a golden lion. When he wakes up he pretends he doesn’t remember a thing.

After a week of living in the mansion comes the day when Felix can’t ignore the kitchen anymore. He doesn’t want to be dependent on Mercedes and her cooking so much, not when winter is coming and there’s a perfectly fine kitchen that Felix could use as much as he pleases.

The kitchen is a battleground where most battles were lost judging from the state of the room. Felix gives up on cleaning the oven when he realises it apparently hasn’t been cleaned for years. He makes a mental note to tell the beast to purchase a new one. Or perhaps he should just ask Dedue or Sylvain to do it. Dimitri, for all his fussing about the state of his mansion doesn’t really seem to care if his home is slowly but surely becoming a ruin. Mercedes, Dedue and Sylvain can only do so much if they aren’t even allowed to step inside. Now everything is on Felix’s shoulders and he doesn’t exactly appreciate the responsibility.

His knees ache after scrubbing the stone floor. He straightens his back, groans in pain, and wipes his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. He brushes back few strands of hair that fell on his face. Seeing the kitchen in a significantly better state gives him some sort of satisfaction. Gone are intricate cobwebs with fat spiders, and piles of unwashed plates and rusty pots. Felix throws most of them away, making a mental note to himself to add plates, cutlery and pots to a list of things to buy.

He stands up, grabs a cup to pour himself water from a bucket. He carried it all the way from the well in the backyard. It would be so much easier if that damned beast took care of basic necessities like water in his own kitchen. The plumbing barely works but at least there’s water in the bathroom _sometimes_ , while there’s no running water in the kitchen for reasons unknown. The tap is cowered in cobwebs; a pipe broke Goddess knows how long ago and the beast either didn’t notice or didn’t care enough to fix it. For a brief moment Felix considers having a talk with Dimitri but shakes his head, dismissing the thought. First things first. For now he should focus on cleaning, then he can think how to improve this old house.

He drinks a whole cup of water, feeling water trickle down his chin. He gasps in relief. He was so thirsty after all that cleaning it feels divine. He pours himself another cup when he hears a low rumbling.

Felix whips his head around to stare at the door where the lion waits, observing him with a narrowed eye. How long he’s been here is difficult to say. At times the beast moves silently like a ghost while some other times he’s loud and obnoxious, claws scratching the floor, driving Felix mad. The lion bows his large head low, his impressive mane more messy than ever, dirty with mud and dead leaves.

Felix frowns. “Don’t you dare come in here, you dirty beast, I just scrubbed the floor!”

The blue eye widens, jaw opens – not to bite but in surprise. Felix feels a pang of worry; it’s not wise to order the lord of the house around, especially when the said lord can transform into a giant lion. Yet he can’t stand the thought of Dimitri just waltzing in here with those muddy paws, ruining all of his hard work. The kitchen looks spotless now and Felix intends to keep it that way.

Dimitri answers with a low growl, more ominous than the previous one, a reminder of sorts to _not_ make him angry. He steps forward and there it is, the kitchen floor ruined, a muddy paw on the freshly cleaned floor.

Felix grits his teeth. “Look, I spent all this time cleaning the kitchen. I’m damn proud of my work here and don’t want to see any more mud on the floor.”

The lion just stares.

Felix brushes his hand through his hair. “You look terrible. Let me give you a bath, how about that? Then you can roll on the kitchen floor as much as you want, I won’t stop you.”

The beast blinks.

“Yes, you need a bath, _my lord_ ,” Felix can’t help the mocking tone. “Did you see yourself in the mirror? Have you been running in the woods again? Here’s to hoping nobody saw you. Think before you do something, lord Dimitri. I don’t have to tell you that, do I?”

The beast emits another growl but this time it sounds like an apologetic whine. Felix walks to him, grabs a leaf from the tangled mess of a mane. The lion’s anger is gone but now he looks like he’s ready to run away.

“Come on, let’s go.” Felix tugs on the mane and leads the lion out to the corridor. He briefly turns around to inspect the damage done to the cleaned floor. There’s a muddy paw print and few dirty drops here and there, nothing too serious so his work isn’t completely ruined. With a sigh, he leads Dimitri to the bathroom upstairs where he orders him to wait while he prepares a bath.

The lion obeys, much to Felix’s surprise, and sits quietly in a large tub looking more like a child than a mighty beast. Dimitri keeps his head low, one good eye staring at his dirty paws. The sight is so ridiculous Felix has to stop and take it all in. A dirty lion in a porcelain tub. Nobody would believe him even if he had someone to tell the story to. Maybe he’ll tell Mercedes about it.

Felix puts more logs into the fireplace, grabs two buckets and fills them with hot water. He has to admit that much, some parts of the house still look impressive. Like this bathroom, for example. There’s a huge porcelain bathtub right in the middle, where Dimitri currently sits in solemn silence. A large fireplace keeps the room warm. Felix made sure to put enough firewood right next to it. There’s a smaller tub in the corner, where Felix fills up the buckets. An oval mirror is right above it, so big Felix is sure that once properly cleaned he’ll be able to see a reflection of the whole room in it. There’s also a cabinet where Felix finds more soap and a comb, and puts it all on the floor by the big tub.

Ready for the task he takes a bucket and pours the water right on top of the tangled mane. The beast lets out a deafening roar that makes Felix wince.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” he says in response to the beast’s angry glare. Now that he’s wet the lion doesn’t look so frightening anymore. “Stay still, I need to take care of that mess on your head.”

He pours more water into the tub and starts combing through the mane with his fingers. A hairbrush is useless, the mane is too thick, that’s why Felix rolls up his sleeves and uses his hands to comb through the tangled hairs. Dimitri lets him do all this without complaining which makes Felix wonder.

He doesn’t mind taking care of the beast _that_ much when Dimitri is not being a big baby. Felix scoffs. _Now, that’s a surprise._

Felix uses more soap to wash the mane. He scratches behind the giant ear to clean the mud, and the beast leans into his touch. Felix huffs. The lion likes it? He scratches the spot again and yes, the lion does like it, his heavy head leaning closer to the man, demanding more attention.

Felix doesn’t give it much thought. It’s weird enough that Lord Blaiddyd has the ability to transform into a lion because some witch cursed him. Felix certainly doesn’t need to overthink the situation.

Another bucket of water, then another and more soap. Felix is not only exhausted but wet, clothes clinging to his skin. He takes a step back and admires his work.

In the bathtub sits a clean lion with golden fur. Felix wonders how long it’s been since the beast had a proper bath because the difference is quite significant. For one, the fur shines and the mane doesn’t look like a tangled mess.

“All done,” he announces, hands on his hips. He can barely stand straight. Going right to bed sounds like the best idea ever. “Next time you need a bath just ask. But you know, my lord, you’re a grown man, er, lion. You should take care of yourself.”

A soft whine comes from the lion’s maw. It’s a sound so unexpected Felix is taken aback by it and doesn’t fully register a magical transformation happening right in front of his eyes until it’s done.

The lion disappears, a muscular man sits in his place. Like previously Dimitri doesn’t care about his own nakedness. At this point for him his human body is no different than the lion form. His wet hair sticks to his face and he brushes few strands away to look at Felix with his good eye.

“I apologise,” he says in a low voice. “I got… careless last night. The beast inside me didn’t want to listen to reason.”

He lets out a pained sigh. He looks so utterly miserable, sitting naked and wet in this giant tub Felix can’t do anything else but stare at the man. This is the same person like the beast who growls and howls, leaves deep scratches on the wooden floor?

“And I’m sorry for leaving mud in the kitchen,” Dimitri continues. “I’ll clean that up.”

Felix’s mind goes blank. Laughter builds inside him, he can’t even tell where it’s coming from until it’s too late. His whole body shakes as he bursts into laughter that echoes between the bathroom walls.

“F– Felix?” Dimitri stutters, his expression so shocked it only makes Felix laugh more.

“Look at yourself, my lord,” he says once he calms down. “You really are a beast. I’ve been alone for so long you forgot how to communicate with another person. You _growled_ at me when I was doing my work, cleaning your damned mansion! Would you pounce on me and gobble me whole if I were some meek chambermaid?”

“How could you– _Felix_!” Dimitri gasps, offended by the very thought. “I would… I would _never_ eat anyone,” he adds although there’s a slight hesitation in his voice like he wasn’t sure what his beastly form could make him do.

It’s no use dragging this conversation, not when Dimitri is suddenly a man, a very _naked_ man, right in front of Felix.

“Wait, I’ll get you a towel,” Felix says before going to a nearby room where he put all laundry. He grabs three towels, uses one to quickly wipe his face, and returns to the bathroom. Dimitri still sits in the tub right where Felix left him.

He tosses him two towels. Seeing how Dimitri unceremoniously stands up, Felix turns away to not make this any more awkward. Dimitri takes the hint, gets out of the tub and promptly wraps a towel around his waist.

“Can you transform on a whim? Choose between the beast and a man?” the words leave Felix’s mouth before he can think.

His cheeks flush pink. His curiosity be damned. He’s overstepping a boundary, asking about something deeply personal. He’s just a servant who’s known Dimitri for a bit more than a week.

Dimitri opens hips lips, considers his options, before answering looking Felix straight in the eyes, “I can change into a man for one hour only. Each day I am allowed to be my old self for a mere hour. The witch gave me an hourglass after she cursed me, so I could track the passage of time when I’m human. That was her final mockery of me.”

He sounds honest but hurt when he adds that, offering a rare glimpse into his situation. He lets out a sigh, his expression weary. “I meant to ask you. If you wish to train together we could… We could do that tomorrow. If you want, that is. I was good at fighting with a lance and sword once. Perhaps I should check if I still remember how to fight…” There’s a ghost of a smile of his lips, his whole face softens when he thinks of some memory from a distant past. “I noticed you train with a wooden sword. You may use whatever you find in the armoury. I also have a pair of fine swords that I got from my father. They were hidden in a wooden crate that I wanted to open the other night. It was rather difficult to do it with, _ah_ , paws. We could use them, if you want?”

_So that what the beast was trying to do?_ , Felix thinks, confused. _I thought the ceiling would fall on my head!_

“Of course,” he replies, resisting the urge to laugh at Dimitri’s sheepish expression.

“Fantastic. Tomorrow I’ll bring them downstairs,” Dimitri nods. “Goodnight, Felix. Thank you.”

He bows his head before leaving. It’s in that moment Felix sees Dimitri not as a beast but as Lord Blaiddyd he must have been once. There is dignity in his voice, he keeps his back straight, and his face not obscured by a mane of untamed hair for once. There’s no denying Dimitri is a handsome young man.

Especially when he – _almost_ – smiles.

The difference between the man and his kind, _gentle_ , voice and the growling beast leaves a storm of thoughts in Felix’s head.

He returns to his bedroom, quickly changes into dry clothes. He leaves his wet clothes on a chair near the fireplace, and gets under the covers, sighing in pleasure when he can finally rest. He looks up at the ceiling, the cracking of flames the only sound in the empty room.

_Does he have a bed?_ , Felix wonders with a pang of concern. He’s never been in the attic. _Does the man sleep on the ground like a beast?_

He drifts away, his body aching for sleep. In his dreams he sees a majestic lion but not in the moonlight this time. The lion runs in the warm sun that makes his fur shine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Felix Hugo Fraldarius was a lord once. Both his father and older brother were respected by most people, the House of Fraldarius treated with respect.

It didn’t last forever.

Forced to grow up fast, Felix had to deal with his brother’s death, his father’s despair and the crumbling of their status. He remembers crying when Rodrigue sold all their horses. He pretended he didn’t care when the servants had to leave, only late at night tossing and turning, worried sick what would come next. He didn’t argue when his father sold the estate and every single thing that even remotely reminded him of his firstborn son, and told Felix they’re leaving for the capital. It was madness. Felix had no love for his father left but he agreed anyway. What else there was for him to do?

A deep frown appears between his brows. _No use thinking about it now_ , he tells himself and takes a sip of coffee.

Mornings are nice, he has to admit, those quiet little moments Felix has for himself as he sits by the kitchen window and watches the world outside wake up. Mercedes brought him a wonderful gift – a bag of coffee. She still brings him cakes every day but he gives those to Dimitri anyway.

Felix inhales the smell and sighs with delight. He never truly realised how much he missed good, strong coffee. He’ll need the strength for today’s task. Felix plans to tidy the library. Rows of bookshelves with heavy tomes await him. He’ll have to throw out about half of those books but there’s a chance he’ll find something interesting to read. It’s difficult to say what kind of books someone like Dimitri would have in his house.

And speaking of Dimitri, Felix hasn’t heard or seen the lion today. He left a tray with food in front of the door like always, knocked and waited but there was no reply. He wonders if Dimitri will train with him today after what he said yesterday.

Felix has to admit he was partially wrong about the young lord. When he walked in the kitchen this morning there was no trace of mud, the floor spotless. He can’t decide if the thought of a huge lion cleaning the floor is more ridiculous or concerning. Lord Blaiddyd is an odd man, not only because of his curse.

After breakfast Felix begins his task. The first thing he notices about the library is a foul smell. He wrinkles his nose and opens the windows wide. The room is one of the biggest ones in the mansion, with bookshelves covering two walls, and large windows overlooking the garden. There’s also a marble fireplace with a painting above it. It’s so dusty and covered by a layer of cobwebs Felix can’t even tell who or what is on the painting. There’s also an old dirty table in front of the fireplace.

Felix isn’t _that_ short but he won’t reach the highest shelves without a ladder. He gets it from the barn and begins his work. Most books are in a terrible shape. He discovers a nest of mice in one big tome. They run away squeaking when he throws their home on the floor. He considers throwing the damaged books into the fireplace one by one though the problem is that there’s too many of them. He piles them on the floor and considers asking other servants what he should do with all that trash.

It’s almost noon and Felix leaves the library for now. It’s time for his training. He wants to begin early today, not because Dimitri might be there to spare with him, of course not. Felix quickly washes his face, puts on a warm vest and goes outside, piles of mouldy books momentarily forgotten.

Something inside him feels warm at the sight of Dimitri waiting by the training dummy. And sure enough, he holds two swords in his hands. At first Felix can’t tell what’s so different about the young lord but then he realises it’s the first time he sees Dimitri wearing regular clothes. That’s a big difference to see him dressed normally instead of throwing a blanket or a towel at him, hoping he’d get the hint and cover himself.

“Good day, Felix!” Dimitri says and honest to Goddess _beams_ at him. He has his hair brushed back in a short ponytail. His right eye is covered with an eyepatch that kind of makes him look like a pirate. He’s wearing a deep blue vest with fur around the collar, a white shirt, dark trousers and boots. His clothes are a bit dusty and look like they’ve been sitting in a chest for far too long, then again they make Dimitri look like a proper lord and that’s quite an achievement.

“Here are the swords I told you about,” he continues, presenting a pair of weapons to Felix. The swords are in black sheaths with the emblem of House Blaiddyd embroidered in deep blue. “I was afraid they won’t be of any use but somehow they’re as sharp as ever. What do you think?”

Felix takes one, unsheathes it and weighs in his hand. The design is simple, nothing like some outlandish weapons nobles like to carry on themselves. It looks simple, the only detail that stands out is the pommel shaped like a lion’s head.

“It’s a good sword,” he replies. He’s not going to praise the man.

“You may keep it if you wish. You’ll make better use of it than me, I’m certain.”

Felix gives him a confusing look. If the swords weren’t in the armoury but hidden away, does it mean they are special somehow?

Felix won’t ask if Dimitri doesn’t want to explain his decision. He takes a step forward, attacks an invisible opponent, swirls around and cuts the air. The sword feels good in his hand.

“Let’s begin,” he says, turning to Dimitri.

The man nods. _Like a completely different person_ , Felix muses, observing Dimitri’s lips curl into a smile.

It’s Felix who attacks first. One way of learning more about Dimitri is to watch him fight, and Felix is determined to see if Dimitri is a worthy opponent.

It looks like Felix met his match. No matter how much he tries, Dimitri parries or avoids every attack almost effortlessly. He’s fast and skilled, and doesn’t hesitate to show off his skills. The sword weighs heavy in Felix’s hand, it takes fifteen minutes for him to start panting. His arm aches but he only grins, not stopping for one moment. His heart sings with joy. He never realised how much he missed good training _and_ having a good opponent.

And Dimitri is good.

Their swords clash, Felix uses all his strength but it’s not enough. He hisses in frustration and jumps away. Brute force is not a solution when his opponent is physically stronger than him. He’ll have to be more careful and use any openings he can see.

Dimitri laughs when they separate. “You fight well. Where did you learn to use a sword like that?”

Felix scowls. “Why does it matter?”

_My brother taught me_ , he wants to say but doesn’t.

“My lord?” a deep voice interrupts them and Felix turns to see it’s Dedue.

Felix never noticed when the man arrived or how long they’ve been training. But it can’t be more than an hour if Dimitri hasn’t transformed back into a lion. The tall man stares at Dimitri, eyes wide in shock. He looks like he’s seen a ghost.

“Dedue! You’re early today,” Dimitri nods at the man. “I was just showing Felix the swords I got for my tenth birthday. You remember when father gave them to me? It feels like a lifetime ago.”

A deep frown appears between Dedue’s brows. “You’re training?” it sounds more like a statement than a question though from Dedue’s voice it’s clear he has trouble believing in what he’s seeing.

“Ah, yes.” Dimitri nods. He wipes his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. “Felix is a great swordsman. My skills are rusty, I have trouble keeping up with him. Can’t remember when was the list time I fought with a sword.”

“I… see.” Dedue presses his lips into a thin line. He gives Felix a look that’s difficult to decipher (concern? _Fear_?). “I’m glad to see you’re well, my lord.”

Felix observes the two men uncertain what to think. Dimitri’s unusually chatty. His voice is so honest it looks like he’s happy to be outside and train. Dedue, on the other hand, is a mystery. His initial shock is gone, replaced by his usual serious expression with only traces of worry in his eyes.

The sound of the sword hitting the ground interrupts Felix’s train of thought. Dimitri winces, his smile gone.

“I apologise but I must leave. My time’s gone.” He turns to Felix, his eye sad. “I hope we can train some other day if you wish.”

Before they can say anything Dimitri turns away and disappears inside the house. Felix’s seen him transform from the beast into a man before but never thought too much about it. _Is it painful?_ , he wonders with a pang of worry.

“How long you’ve been doing this?” Dedue asks and Felix doesn’t appreciate the hint of anger in his voice.

“You mean training together? We started today,” he replies. He takes the other sword from the ground and puts it in its sheath. “Dimitri was the one who suggested it,” he adds, giving Dedue a look.

“He did..?” he blinks. “Do you and lord Dimitri talk often?”

Felix folds his arms on his chest. _What is this, an interrogation?_

“Not really. And from the expression on your face I get he doesn’t talk to you that much.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Dedue shakes his head. “Not after the curse.”

His eyes are distant as if he was thinking about some old memory. Felix resists the urge to ask. It’s not his place to question this man. He picks up the swords.

“Well, if you excuse me, I better get back to work.”

“Of course. If you need anything just ask.”

“Actually,” Felix says, remembering the giant pile of books. “Is it alright if I put everything that I consider trash in one place and burn it? Most blankets, carpets and curtains are shredded, not to mention the old books.”

Dedue nods. “Do whatever you wish with them. If you want to burn them you can do it on a field over there,” he points in the direction behind the barn. “This time of year there’s nothing growing there anyway.”

“Thank you.”

Walking to the house Felix feels Dedue’s eyes following him.

He doesn’t have time to dwell on the nature of Dedue and Dimitri’s friendship, and goes back to work after having a quick meal.

Work feels tedious when Felix climbs up the ladder again. He reaches out for another book. It’s in a better condition that the previous ones, only a little dusty. It’s quite heavy and big, with a hard cover, and Felix curses loudly when it slips from his grasp and lands on the floor. He sighs, gets down and picks it up. It’s only then when he sees its title written in large golden letters.

_Noble Houses of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus_

Felix sits down but hesitates, tracing the letters with his index finger. He opens it to check it was published six years ago. The first two pages show a beautifully drawn map of the kingdom. He turns the page to see a list of noble names. Dimitri’s House is among the ones written at the top in large letters. His eyes scan the long list, and at the bottom he sees lesser Houses with House Fraldarius being one of them. House Gautier is in there too, and after a moment of thought Felix remembers it’s Sylvain’s name.

Like every other important noble family House Blaiddyd has a whole page devoted to them, written in fancy letters and decorated with a picture of their crest and a portrait of a man who looks like older Dimitri. The resemblance between the man and Dimitri is uncanny, even though the portrait is rather simple.

The description is boring, listing many achievements of Lambert Blaiddyd, with his wife and son barely mentioned. Felix turns the pages, his eyes scan the description of a House he doesn’t recognise. His hand hovers above the book, hesitant. He turns the pages until he finds a short description of Sylvain’s family, then searches for his own House.

While Dimitri’s family got a whole page, House Fraldarius isn’t as important. Felix has a bitter smile on his lips when he reads five short sentences about his father and the land he owns. No fancy portraits, just plain text.

_Glenn Fraldarius, the heir of the House. Felix Hugo Fraldarius, the youngest son of Lord Rodrigue._

He scoffs and closes the book. Dimitri’s book collection is outdated like hell.

The very mention of his father wakes up cold fury in his heart, so he returns to work to occupy his mind with something more useful than resenting his father. Once he’s done with sorting books, he turns his attention to the painting above the fireplace. After he wipes the dust from it the room will be more or less done.

He takes it off the wall, wipes it with a cloth to reveal a family portrait. A man stands behind a woman sitting on a chair. Felix saw him in the book of nobles, so this must be Dimitri’s father. On the woman’s lap sits a small boy with shoulder length hair. Both the father and mother are smiling while the child clings to his mother holding her white dress in his tiny fists. Felix puts it by the fireplace and studies their faces. There’s no date at the back of the painting though he’d say Dimitri looks three or four years old.

A scratch of claws on the floor makes Felix turn his head to the door. The lion keeps his giant head low, his eye focused on the painting. Before Felix can ask about it, he beast runs away.

Felix scoffs. Earlier Dimitri was eager to talk, now he’s gone in an instant. It’s almost impossible to think the beast and the man are the same person when Dimitri is acting so differently depending on his form.

In the evening Felix decides to call it a day. He stays in the library, brings some leftover bread and cheese from the kitchen to eat while reading an old volume of _Tactics_ in the candlelight. It’s almost midnight when Felix nearly dozes off surrounded by a pile of books he categorized as “interesting”. There are many useless tomes filled with tales of chivalry, knights fighting with dragons to free some princess, and then there are books about history of Fódlan.

He yaws, gets up and stretches. He should get to bed and continue tomorrow. Hopefully he’ll be done with the library. The mansion is eerily quiet as he walks up the stairs with a candle in his hand. Before he enters his bedroom Felix stops at the door and listens, eyes glancing up at the ceiling. No growling or scratching, nothing.

In a way he misses the noise the beast makes. Without it, it’s just Felix and his thoughts. He gets inside and locks the door.

In his dream he wanders the dark halls of the mansion. Dimitri’s sword weighs heavy in his grasp. There’s a candle in his hand but it gets smaller with every passing moment until the flame is so tiny Felix can barely see anything. The young lord is nowhere to be seen. The corridor seems endless as Felix walks and walks, his breathing quickens, heart thundering in his chest. It ends suddenly and he’s in the entrance hall but the door’s missing and training dummies stand by the walls.

He exhales. Hot breath is on his neck. The beast emits a low growl. Felix grips the sword so hard his hand hurts. The candle is gone, he’s left in the dark. Another growl and he’s ready to swing around and fight for his life.

Felix wakes up in cold sweat, gasping loudly in the empty room. He lies in his bed, his breathing heavy, trying to gather his thoughts.

_Just a dream_ , he hopes.

The day begins like any other, with a quick chat with Mercedes (she brings more coffee, Goddess bless her) and breakfast. Then Felix goes to the library to continue his tedious task. He listens to Dedue’s advice and puts the books that are ruined outside with the intention of bringing whatever old cloths he can also find and destroying it all in flames. He got rid of so many of them the bookshelves look empty and sad. _What if I ask Dimitri to buy new ones?_ , he considers for a moment. _What sort of books would he like? Not more of that chivalry tales nonsense, I hope._

He wants to suggest it during their sparing session but the problem is that Dimitri doesn’t show up. Felix begins at his usual hour, two swords ready. The lion is nowhere to be seen.

_Maybe it was a one–time thing_ , he wonders and starts his training. It feels dull compared to yesterday’s sparing with Dimitri, and Felix grows irritated, ending the training after half an hour. He has a quick meal and gets back to the library, wishing to be done with the room, with the whole mansion.

He doesn’t quite understand his anger but it makes him work faster. He puts the books on the shelves, cleans the fireplace, covers the old table with a tablecloth. He places a small brush, a shovel and a poker near the fireplace. The only thing that’s left is to put the painting back on the wall but first he needs to take care of the trash.

He goes out only after Sylvain leaves, gathers all trash that can be burned from all around the house; mouldy books, torn out pages, shredded curtains, it all burns in a big fireplace on a field behind the barn. Felix watches the fire, its warmth oddly comforting. He’s glad he’s not some sentimental fool who would have problems with getting rid of all that. These are just things. Just like everything House Fraldarius used to own and that had to be sold.

He puts out the fire and gets back inside. The evening is chilly, so he needs to remember to put enough wood in the fireplace unless he wants to wake up freezing. He considers asking Dimitri if he needs firewood in the attic. Or perhaps the lion’s fur is enough to keep him warm?

His thoughts are interrupted when he hears something breaking. From the sound of it, it must be the table in the library. Brows knit, Felix rushes to the room unsure what can cause such ruckus.

The first thing he sees is the painting on the ground, with long slashes in the middle. The frame is damaged, pieces of it torn off. The table is broken, the tablecloth dirty. On the broken table stands the beast and Felix watches him tear the painting into pieces.

The blue eye moves to Felix. The lion spits out a piece of the painting and growls, baring his big sharp teeth.

Felix exhales. His vision gets blurry for a second, his legs shake as if he was about to faint. Rage forms a hot ball in his guts. It travels up, he swallows, and feels it burning in his throat. His hands shake.

The lion growls again and Felix snaps. He walks up to the beats, his whole body shaking.

“You big. Dumb. Beast! Stop!” In a moment of blind fury Felix slaps the lion’s big wet nose with his hand. “Stop it!”

He does it again and again until the beast yowls in pain and jumps away. The lion snarls, enraged, but Felix is beyond the point of caring. He grabs a poker from the set of fireplace tools and holds it like a sword.

“Look what you’ve done, you stupid beast! This is what you think about my work? That you can come and destroy everything as you please?” He’s yelling, he knows he shouldn’t but seeing this mindless destruction awakens some deep anger inside him. He points at the table and the slashed painting. “Is this what you want to do to me? Break my neck and tear me into pieces? You should wait till I’m asleep so I don’t put on a fight because let me tell you, you damn beast, I _will_ fight you! And we spared yesterday so you know I can fight!”

The growling stops. The lion’s stare grows less and less hostile and it looks he has a moment of realisation of what he’s done. Felix doesn’t falter. If the beast wants to fight then he’s ready.

The lion emits a noise, a sad whine, as he transforms into a man in a glow of faint light. Dimitri sits on the floor, panting. He reaches for the dirty tablecloth and wraps it around his waist. For a moment there’s only silence. Felix lowers the poker, his brows furrowed.

He takes one more look at the destroyed painting. “Care to tell me what was that about, my lord?”

“I apologise,” Dimitri replies after a longer while, eye glued to the floor.

It’s Felix’s turn to growl. “No! You can’t just say you’re _sorry_ every time you do something like this and expect me to be okay with it!” He barks, voice full of anger. Dimitri lifts up his head, eye wide in shock. “Yesterday you were so… uh, _normal_ when we trained together. Then you don’t talk to me but behave like a creepy stalker, watching me from the shadows. And now you act like you’re about to attack me?” He huffs, annoyance colouring his cheeks. His face is hot; he looks ridiculous but doesn’t care. “Make up your mind, lord Blaiddyd, because I sure as hell don’t know what do you want from me!”

“Felix…” Dimitri begins. “Listen – ”

“No,” Felix doesn’t let him finish. “You listen, _my lord_. You keep me here like a hostage, and I work all day to take care of your home while you do nothing but ruin it! The mansion is empty and stinks of your shame and wrath. That’s all you do, either hide in shame or destroy in blind fury!”

He angrily brushes strands of hair from his face. He has no idea why he’s getting so fired up about this whole situation yet he’s too far gone to stop.

“I know my place and who I am to you. I’m here because of my useless father, and frankly I’m glad I don’t have to spend any more time with the man who would rather see me dead anyway because I’m not his beloved first born. And you’re being just like him. You shut yourself away from everyone, get so angry at the smallest things. And now _this_!” he points at the painting’s miserable remains.

Felix lets out a frustrated groan. He’s gone too far but there’s no way of taking the words back. He takes a deep breath. The storm of thoughts in his head gives him a headache.

“You’re right, Felix,” Dimitri says in a quiet voice. He looks at the torn pieces, his eye filled with sadness. “But you’re also wrong.”

Felix scoffs. “What do you – ”

“You’re right about me,” Dimitri continues in a low, sad voice. “I isolated myself from everyone because it’s easy. Easier than… Facing the truth of what I’ve become.”

Felix doesn’t say anything. With his arms crossed on his chest, he listens to Dimitri who looks utterly miserable, so unlike the furious beast.

“When we were sparing I remembered the joy of being human. Of simply enjoying myself, doing what I liked doing before all this,” Dimitri waves his hand at the broken table. “But that’s not who I am anymore, Felix. How can I enjoy talking to anyone, to _you_ , when there’s so little time for me before the curse forces me back into that wretched state?”

He lets out a heavy sigh. Somewhere deep inside his heart Felix feels a strange pull. He doesn’t want to call it pity. It’s not. It’s genuine concern, a feeling so surprising he doesn’t know what to think about it.

“I tried,” Dimitri nods. “I swear to Goddess I tried living my life like a normal person. Dedue, Sylvain and Mercedes stayed by my side no matter how hard it was for me to even look them in the eyes knowing we can’t go back to how things used to be. That no matter how I try to control the beast it doesn’t listen. That I might hurt them.”

“That’s why you banished them?” Felix asks, all traces of anger gone. He puts the poker back near the fireplace.

Dimitri nods again. His voice is filled with guilt. “I wanted them gone. I _needed_ them to stay away from me. I hoped…” his voice breaks. He stays silent for a moment before continuing, eyes fixed on the floor. “I hoped that once they’re gone I’d lose myself completely to the beast I’ve become. But they… They wouldn’t leave.” He lets out a sad laugh. “No matter how angry I got, how my words hurt them, they didn’t want to leave.”

Dedue’s strange behaviour the other day makes more sense now. Felix never asked him or Sylvain or Mercedes what keeps them coming here. Certainly not coin. How much can they get for their work? If not money, then what?

Loyalty? Yes. And something more – friendship. They want to protect the man they still consider their friend.

“Everything you said is true. About me, that is. You see the beast, you know what I can do, how irrational and _stupid_ I am when I’m that monster. But you’re wrong about yourself.”

Felix frowns. “What do you mean?”

“You’re not a hostage. You don’t have to stay here if you despise this place so much. I don’t expect any help from you, and certainly not kindness. I don’t deserve it,” he shakes his head. Hair obscures his face when he bows his head in shame. “I’m a beast, I can’t control myself. For Goddess’ sake, I wanted to hurt you when I first saw you. The beast wanted you gone. You were a stranger, an intruder. I didn’t need any more people to take pity on me.”

The difference between the beast Felix first saw when he came here and the guilt ridden man he sees now is so great that part of Felix can’t believe it’s the same person. _It’s all true_ , he thinks, his heart filled with sadness. _He’s is a slave to the beast._

“What I find fascinating is how you’re not afraid of me,” Dimitri lets out a laugh. He shakes his head realising how sad and forced it sounds. “You saw a lion ready to attack and you didn’t run away. The other day you _yelled_ at me for walking into the kitchen with muddy paws.”

Felix clears his throat. “Well, I did spend a lot of time cleaning the floor…”

Dimitri laughs again. This time it’s genuine. The difference is striking.

“Do you know how refreshing it is to have someone who doesn’t seem to care I’m this hulking beast filled with fury? My friends, if I can still call them that after all I’ve done, they tiptoed around me and worried so much I couldn’t stand it. But you..!” he looks at Felix, his eye shining. “You’re not afraid of the beast I’ve become.”

He reaches out and Felix considers for a moment before he offers Dimitri his hand. The man’s nails are too long, his fingers calloused, skin scarred.

_Not a spoiled lord’s hand_ , Felix idly thinks.

A soft gasp escapes from his lips when Dimitri presses his lips to his fingers in a chaste kiss.

“Thank you, Felix,” Dimitri whispers; he squeezes Felix’s hand, his touch gentle. “You’re not my hostage. You may leave whenever you want. I won’t keep you here. I don’t want you to be locked up in a cage with a beast. If you wish to leave tomorrow or even now, I won’t stop you. You did more than pay off your father’s debt.”

He lets go of Felix’s hand, pink blush colouring his face. He looks at the floor, embarrassed by this sudden display of affection.

Felix wants to tell him it’s alright, that he doesn’t mind. More importantly what he wants to say is…

_I don’t want to leave._

The realisation makes his mind go blank, thoughts scattered in panic. But it’s true. The routine is comforting. He knows what needs to be done and he can see the results of his hard work. When he’s done he’ll move on to other tasks. The library needs more books. There should be more pans and pots in the kitchen. The entrance hall could use new curtains.

And then, when the mansion’s restored to its former glory, how could he leave it all behind?

How could he leave this big, dumb beast alone in the empty house? Someone needs to keep an eye on the lion so he doesn’t trash the place again.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, lord Blaiddyd,” he says, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Taking care of your house is far better than travelling with my father.”

Dimitri gives him a confused look. Felix feels his face blush.

“Perhaps I was too angry to speak more clearly. I don’t mind being here. And I don’t want to leave.”

Dimitri’s whole face lights up when he smiles.

“Can you show me the attic?” Felix asks before he can think.

Seeing Dimitri inhale a sharp breath makes Felix instantly regret the question.

“I shouldn’t – ” he begins but Dimitri interrupts him.

“Let’s go. It’s time I told you my full story. It’s best if you see it with your own eyes.”

They walk up the stairs in silence, Felix following Dimitri with a candle. Upon reaching the attic, Dimitri stops, hesitates briefly before opening the door to let Felix through.

It’s a mess, like every other part of the mansion was before Felix came here. A big wooden wardrobe stands on the left, the only piece of furniture that’s not broken. The room is filled with broken chairs, tables and what looks like a broken old bed with a mattress torn into pieces. There are torn pages and damaged books on the dirty floor, something covered by an old bedsheet in the corner, and pieces of broken vases swept in one place. There are long scratches on the floor and walls, a testimony of the lion’s fury.

Moonlight seeps through an oval window. It’s not enough for Felix to see the room clearly. Dimitri lights up few candles placed on the floor by something that has to be his bed but it’s nothing but a pile of blankets and pillows.

With so many empty rooms, Dimitri exiled himself here.

“Let me show you something,” the man says before Felix can speak. He takes off the dirty bedsheet to reveal three paintings hidden beneath it. He gestures to Felix to come closer and shows him the first one.

Felix is looking at a small child that would grow up to become Lord Blaiddyd, surrounded by his dear friends.

Dimitri looks older than the child Felix saw on the painting in the library. He still has longer hair but his face looks more mature. He holds a wooden sword in his hands, and looks very proud of it. Sylvain is on his left. The painter perfectly captured his charming smile. Mercedes stands next to him, holding a teddy bear in her small hands. Her hair is long, brushed into a ponytail. Dedue is on Dimitri’s right. Even as a child he was the tallest of them all.

Another painting depicts the late lord of the house, Dimitri’s father. The painting is worthy of a lord, a king even. Lord Lambert stands tall on a snowy field, a lance in his hand. He’s in full armour with a cape with fur on his shoulders. The painter added a lion laying by his feet.

The last painting shows Dimitri’s mother. But something happened to it – there’s a burned hole where the woman’s face should be. Felix frowns. It looks eerie. The woman sits in a room similar to the library downstairs, dressed in a splendid blue gown. Two lion cubs sit by her side. The painter really liked symbolism.

“My family… They’re long gone. It’s Cornelia’s doing.” Dimitri’s voice startles Felix. “She was…” he sighs. “It’s sufficient to say she hated my mother.”

Felix turns to face him. “Was she the witch who cursed you?”

Dimitri nods. “My mother died when I was twelve. The painting here,” he nods at the first one, “it was completed shortly before her death. It was so sudden I knew it wasn’t natural even though I was a child. My father suspected Cornelia had something to do with it but he didn’t have any proof. My mother’s death changed us both. For worse.”

He picks up the dirty bedsheet and tosses it on the paintings. “I believe Cornelia’s original plan was to seduce my father and take my mother’s place. He couldn’t care less about her. In fact, he hated her because he knew she was a witch. Years passed, she was growing more irritated. Then one day she had enough.”

Dimitri walks to the wardrobe, opens the scratched door and takes something in his hands. It’s an hourglass, quite big and heavy looking. There’s nothing interesting about it other than the sand inside it – it glows faintly as it falls down.

“One day five years ago my father and I left to deal with a group of bandits,” Dimitri speaks, watching grains of sand. “We expected nothing more than a quick battle. Dedue and Sylvain accompanied us that day. It all went well, the leader surrendered and my father ordered them to drop their weapons. But then the leader jumped on my father with a dagger. The blade was poisoned. One cut, that was all it took.”

“The witch planned it?”

Dimitri’s lips twist in disgust. “Of course she did. The bandits attacked again, one of them jumped at me with a lance. If it wasn’t for Sylvain I’d have lost more than an eye.”

Felix listens, uncertain what to say.

“My father was dead before we got back home. He couldn’t speak, paralysed by poison, and I could only watch his eyes beg me to _do something_.” Dimitri falls into silence, jaw clenched. 

“Cornelia was already waiting for me. She had a ridiculous plan of marrying me since she couldn’t have my father. I wanted her dead.” Cold rage marks Dimitri’s words. His hand holding the hourglass shakes. He clenches his hand, tries to crush it but can’t. It’s protected by magic he can’t defeat with brute force. “I remember I attacked her with a sword but she only needed to wave her hand at me to send me flying. She laughed and told me that if I don’t want her then she will make sure I shall not have anyone. Well, she was right. And this was her final joke.”

He holds up the hourglass. “She cursed me into a beast and left me with a reminder of how little time I have to be human again. It magically turns every time I transform so the witch can remind me of my pitiful state until the day I die.”

“Is there a way to break the curse?” Felix asks. His head spins trying to absorb all this new information.

Dimitri laughs. Felix winces at how fake it is.

“I tried. Dedue, Sylvain and Mercedes did as well. I spent a fortune on trying to reverse it. Eventually I gave up. We all gave up and accepted the fact that this is who I am now.”

He puts the hourglass back in the wardrobe, then turns to Felix. He looks tired. “My time’s almost up, Felix. You should go to sleep.”

Felix shakes his head. How can Dimitri tell him all this and expect him to just go to sleep now? “What about the witch? What happened to her?”

“I’ve no idea,” Dimitri shrugs. “She disappeared Goddess knows where. She couldn’t have my fortune so she decided to ruin it instead.”

“There must be a way to break the curse,” Felix insists.

“There’s no hope for me,” Dimitri says with devastating honesty. “Don’t waste your time trying to do the impossible. Go to bed, Felix. It’s late and the beast will be back any moment.”

“No.”

Dimitri’s eye widens. Then he frowns, lips opening. Felix stares at him with determination. He made his choice.

Before Dimitri can say something, however, the curse reminds them how little time they can share together. Dimitri falls on his knees surrounded by a faint light. He groans, face twisted in anguish. His cry of pain changes to a roar when he transforms into a beast.

The lion lets out a hiss. _Leave me!_ The blue eye begs.

Felix shakes his head.

He closes the distance between them, unafraid. He brushes the mane with his fingers, scratches behind the giant ear. The lion’s fur is soft.

The beast emits a whine, pulls away and goes to lie on a pile of old blankets by the window. Felix scoffs. _You think you can get rid of me that easily?_

He makes his way to the lion who watches him with a big sad eye. He drops to his knees, pats the giant head and says, “The night’s cold and you’re better than any blanket, so I’m staying here. Don’t try to argue with me. You know how stubborn I am.”

Something like a purr comes from the beast. Felix shakes his head in disbelief. _What am I doing..?_

He curls by Dimitri’s side. The big cat is an excellent pillow. Felix gently grabs the soft mane and closes his eyes. He’s lulled to sleep by the lion’s purr. No nightmares haunt him this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter of this story is *almost* done and I'll post it next week.  
> Comments are always appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

Warmth spreads through his body, his mind at ease. He can’t remember the last time he slept so peacefully.

Felix stretches, stubbornly refusing to open his eyes. His hands reaches out, expecting to touch the soft mane.

His eyes snap open. He’s lying in his own bed, alone. He sits up, confused how he got here.

It’s late. So late that Mercedes left the food basket by the front door. Felix takes it inside, puts the food on a silver tray and goes upstairs. An uneasy feeling settles in his mind. He knocks at the door. There’s no answer, no sounds coming from the other side. He puts the tray by the door and gets back to the kitchen. Dimitri is nowhere to be seen.

He sits by a window, a cup of coffee in his hands, and watches the first snow fall, soon covering the training dummy with a thin layer. He puts his half eaten breakfast aside. A ball of anxiety forms in his throat and he can barely swallow the food.

The sound of footsteps coming closer breaks the anxious silence. It’s so unexpected Felix stands up, hand reaching for a knife. He sits down and puts the knife back on the table seeing it’s Dimitri.

What’s different is that he’s in his human form, wearing nothing but a pair of breeches hanging low on his hips. His face is flushed, a frown between his brows, eye focused. He puts a large bag on the table. It looks heavy and from the clang of metal it seems to be filled with coins.

“I went to retrieve what’s left of my fortune,” Dimitri gestures at the bag. “Take it. It’s all yours.”

Felix can’t think of an answer. He gives the man a confusing look. Dimitri’s cold gaze makes him uneasy in a way he doesn’t understand. Yesterday there was so much _warmth_ in his gaze, his face soft. Now he looks like that hostile man Felix met the first time he came here.

“I want you gone. You may stay the night but I need you to leave in the morning.”

“What?” Felix breathes. He looks at the bag of coins, then at Dimitri again. Something like a thorn pierces his heart and Felix almost winces. These words hurt in a way he can’t comprehend.

There’s something important he’s missing here, and he doesn’t know what it is.

“You must leave this place, Felix,” Dimitri says again, his voice distant. “Take the coin, a horse, whatever else you need. Promise me you’ll never come back.”

Felix shakes his head in disbelief. The room spins around him. _Is this a joke..?_

There’s no trace of emotion on Dimitri’s face, nothing but a cold indifference replacing that beautiful smile Felix saw last night. He stands on the other side of the table, using it as a barrier, a shield, and hides behind it, offers no explanation of his harsh words.

The beast’s anger is gone. Yesterday’s kindness is gone too. What’s left is an emotionless mask.

And Felix can’t bear to look at it.

“Are you mad?” he barks, hands balling into fists. “You’re kicking me out? What’s this all about?”

Dimitri lets out a sigh. He looks at the window, refusing to face Felix’s anger. “Don’t make it difficult, please.”

“ _Difficult_?” Felix spits. “You order me to leave without explaining why, and dare to say that _I’m_ the one making things difficult?”

“That’s right, Felix,” Dimitri’s head turns and he finally looks the man in the eyes. The intensity of his gaze makes Felix gasp silently. Dimitri’s jaw is clenched, lips twisted in something akin to disgust. If he were in his beastly form he would bare his teeth, ready to bite. He’s frowning, eye narrowed and filled with a mixture of anger and hurt. “It’s an order and you will obey me. Don’t forget I am your lord and you must listen to what I command. What made you think you may disobey me? What made you think we are anything else but a lord and a servant? Take the damned coin and get out of my sight!”

_If the fate wasn’t so cruel to him, Dimitri Blaiddyd wouldn’t be a cruel lord_ , a small voice whispers in Felix’s ear as he stares in shock at the man. _If he could lead a normal life, he would be kind to every person he met. He would be just. And brave._

“Do not disobey me,” Dimitri’s voice sounds like a low growl. He takes a step back, his hands shaking. “I want you gone in the morning or else you’ll taste my wrath.”

He rushes to the door, leaving Felix alone in the kitchen with a bag of coins. The flames crack in the fireplace, the only sound in the silence that follows Dimitri’s angry words. Felix slowly exhales a breath he didn’t realise he was holding.

He grabs the bag. It’s so big and heavy he can’t fit it in one hand. He peeks inside to see golden coins. He could buy his own estate with this much money.

_Lord Dimitri wouldn’t be cruel_ , the voice repeats. A lion is a beast but Dimitri is a man with a kind heart.

He finishes his coffee. His hand holding the cup shakes. He narrows his eyes at the bag of coins on the table. Felix feels cold fury that makes his blood boil.

He stands up so rapidly the chair falls on the floor. With one swing of his arm he throws the cup at the wall. It shatters into pieces, last drops of coffee stain the kitchen wall.

Felix exhales, anger leaving him with the breath. Part of him wants to be angry, grab the sword Dimitri gave him and duel the stupid beast to death.

Felix bites his lower lip. His anger is gone replaced by a combination of emotions (hurt, worry, _guilt_ ) that make him shiver. He was stupid enough to believe he finally found a place where he belongs, no matter how ridiculous it sounds. He swallows a sound close to a sob, closes his eyes for a moment, and makes a decision to go upstairs.

And talk to that fool.

Dimitri’s not getting rid of him that easily.

The lord is nowhere to be found. Felix raises his hand to knock at the door, hesitates and listens. Again no sounds come from the other side. Felix knocks, once, twice, and then again. He stands there for a while awaiting an answer. Dimitri’s not here. He reaches for the doorknob.

He shouldn’t.

But he has to. Dimitri may wallow in self–pity all he wants but Felix won’t accept that. Dimitri opened up about his fate, now it’s time for Felix to do something about it. There has to be a way of getting rid of his curse.

After all, isn’t that the reason he came here? To _help_?

_Will you still want me gone if I solve the mystery of your curse?_ His brows knit. He has to try no matter how small the odds.

He’s seen Dimitri, the man not the beast. There has to be a way to break the curse and free Dimitri from his suffering. He needs to see the hourglass. Check if there are any clues written on it. Doubtful but still worth a try.

The door’s locked. He huffs in irritation. The stupid lion isn’t making his life easier.

His duties forgotten, Felix goes to his room to get a hairpin and works on the lock until it clicks open. He smirks to himself, proud of this little hidden talent of his.

His father wouldn’t approve of his son behaving like a common thief.

To hell with his father.

The attic hasn’t changed since yesterday, the floor still awfully dirty and covered with torn pages and pieces of broken furniture. He makes his way to the wardrobe and reaches for the hourglass. The sand emits a golden glow. This can only mean one thing – Dimitri is out there in his human form.

Felix inspects it, turning it in his hands. From his understanding the witch cursed Dimitri because she was jealous. She couldn’t get what she wanted so she decided to ruin the man’s life.

_You’re proud like a lion, young lord. You shall spend the eternity walking as a beast, alone, for you rejected the gift of love I offered you_ – an inscription on the bottom of the hourglass says.

_Love?_ Felix scoffs. The witch didn’t love Dimitri, the only thing she loved was power and money of House Blaiddyd.

Then his attention is drawn to the voices coming from outside.

He rushes to the window to see Dimitri in the garden. Despite the cold he didn’t put on any more clothes and Felix shivers just looking at the man standing barefoot in the snow. He’s talking to Dedue, gesturing angrily. Dedue shakes his head, disagreeing with whatever the young lord said. Sylvain walks out of the barn and joins in. Dimitri’s voice gets louder. Even though Felix can only hear some muffled sounds, he may still recognise anger when he hears it.

He pushes at the window but it doesn’t budge.

Dimitri shouts something more and turns around, leaving Dedue and Sylvain despite them calling after him. Hearing the man running up the stairs Felix nearly drops the hourglass. He places it back in the wardrobe, his mind on fire. He has to _think_.

Dimitri rushes into the room but stops, surprise written all over his face. Then it changes, brows furrowing at the sight of an intruder.

Felix raises his hands as though he wanted to surrender. “You didn’t explain anything so I came here looking for clues. You can’t blame me after that ridiculous display in the kitchen.”

“I locked the door and yet you still got in here! I told you to stay away!”

“Yesterday you didn’t mind,” Felix points out, pink flush on his cheeks. “You told me your story and let me stay with you. What changed?”

Panic flashes on Dimitri’s face. His anger is gone and he looks defeated. “Nothing. And that’s the problem, Felix. Nothing changed and never will.”

“If this is about your curse then I’m sure there is a solution. It can be broken, but how can you know this if you stopped trying? Don’t you want to at least try?”

“No!” Dimitri says with a bitter smile on his lips. It doesn’t suit his handsome face at all. “I’ve tried enough times to know it’s pointless. I met with every mage and priest I could find. I bought all kinds of elixirs. Nothing helped, Felix. And nothing will.”

“Oh, shut up!” Felix barks. That makes Dimitri look him in the eyes. His shocked expression would be funny if Felix wasn’t so angry at the man.

“Excuse me?” Dimitri asks with a frown. He doesn’t appreciate the tone.

“You heard me, beast. Stop it, I can’t stand your whining.”

The frown on Dimitri’s face deepens, eye flashing with anger. He looks just like the day Felix met him. “I ordered you to leave and now you dare to – ”

“That’s right!” Felix interrupts him and walks up to him to stab him in the chest with his index finger. His face grows hot. He either makes the point and gets through that thick skull so Dimitri finally understands, or he dies horribly, sharp claws tearing his flesh. He never quite realised how tall Dimitri is, the height difference irritating him because he hates how small he feels right now.

“For once shut up, my lord, and _listen_ instead of ordering me around,” Felix continues. He doesn’t know where his courage is coming from, and he also has only one try to test his theory out. If it doesn’t work he won’t see the sunset.

“You did exactly what the witch wanted. You fell right into her trap. The inscription on the hourglass says she wants you to stay alone, and you did.”

Dimitri opens his lips to protest. Felix doesn’t let him.

“You kicked out your friends and wanted to murder Sylvain when he brought me here. But then you realised it wasn’t the end of the world that I’m under your roof. That maybe your self–imposed loneliness wasn’t the best idea.” Felix glances at a large scar on Dimitri’s chest and resists the urge to touch or ask about it. It looks like an X marking his heart.

“Why did you give me the sword you got from your father? It has to mean a lot to you.”

Dimitri blinks. “I, uh, saw you training with a wooden sword and thought you’d like to use a real one.”

“There’s lots of swords in the armoury, yet you gave me the one that was a gift from your father,” Felix quirks an eyebrow, looking up to study Dimitri’s face. “You let me bathe you. Then you tell me your life story and say you admire my strength because I’m not afraid of the beast.” He takes a breath, the physical closeness between them suddenly overwhelming. “How can I be afraid when I know in reality the lion is a kind man?”

Dimitri’s expression changes, so much sadness visible in his eye it’s painful to watch. “I am not kind,” he says with utmost certainly of a man who lost all hope.

“How can you say that? Was it not kind to keep Sylvain as your friend? He was branded a traitor because of his brother’s betrayal. Does it matter to you? Of course not.”

Only after reading a passage from _Noble Houses of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus_ Felix remembered why Sylvain’s name seemed so familiar. The _Traitor Gautier_ , people call his older brother. With the death of the oldest son House Gautier fell into disgrace. It’s a heavy burden to carry yet Sylvain didn’t leave Dimitri.

“Mercedes doesn’t have anyone but you. No one else would give her a job. You say you wasted your fortune but did you, really? You made sure you have enough to pay them.”

Dimitri presses his lips in a thin line. He doesn’t try to argue.

“And then there’s Dedue. An outsider working for a noble family.”

“My parents – ”

“Your parents didn’t force their first born to befriend a boy from Duscur.” Felix shakes his head. “They didn’t force you to keep him by your side.”

Felix stops. Perhaps he’s being too harsh. His gaze softens and he reaches out to brush a strand of hair from Dimitri’s face. “You’re not a kind man?” He laughs. “Dimitri, you’re the kindest man I know.”

“Felix – ” Dimitri begins, hesitant. He reaches out for Felix’s hand. The whole world is silent when they look at each other.

A silent gasp escapes from his lips when his skin begins to glow. He curses, looking utterly heartbroken.

Something inside Felix stirs impatiently. _This isn’t fair._

Thoughts race in his head as he repeats the inscription from the witch over and over in his mind.

“That’s why you have to leave this damned house,” Dimitri pleads, taking a step back, their connection lost. “You have to leave me. How can I force you to stay with a man who’s a slave to the curse? You don’t deserve to live with a beast.”

His back arches, he groans in pain and falls down on his knees.

Watching the beginning of the transformation time seems to slow down and Felix’s body moves on its own. The witch’s words echo in his head again, he reaches out to cradle Dimitri’s face in his hands. Something is happening with the man’s body, something Felix can’t even begin to comprehend.

His blue eye begs him to step back, to leave him. Felix doesn’t listen. The magic glow Dimitri’s skin emits is hot, nearly burning his hands. Dimitri opens his lips but is unable to speak and closes is eye shut, face twisting in a spasm.

Felix leans in, takes a deep breath and closes the distance between them, pressing their lips together.

For one dreadful moment nothing happens. Felix doesn’t think about anything else other than, _Please, it has to work_ , and he almost believes his foolish idea failed, that he got it all wrong and there’s nothing he can do to save Dimitri from his curse.

Then the glowing stops, magic no longer burning his hands. Felix pulls back and exhales. There seems to be a hot coal burning in his guts.

“It… stopped,” Dimitri gasps, looking at his hands. His skin no longer glows, the transformation halted. His eye moves to Felix. “How did you know?”

“You could say it was a lucky guess. I’m glad it worked,” Felix chuckles. “I followed the witch’s way of thinking. On the hourglass she wrote you rejected the gift of love, so, uh…”

Dimitri turns red in an instant.

Felix curses under his breath, his face growing hot. “Well, I’m not saying…” he makes a vague hand gesture. He clears his throat. “What I mean is, I don’t _hate_ you, and maybe I’m a bit fond of you even though you’re terrible sometimes and you can’t tell me what’s bothering you like a normal human being.”

Dimitri’s gaze softens, lips curl into a smile.

“Thank you, Felix.” He takes Felix’s hands into his own and kisses them again and again, kneeling right there in front of him. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

Felix exhales. It’s as if a heavy weight was lifted from his shoulders.

Later they go outside together to find Sylvain and Dedue, and Felix chuckles at the expression Sylvain makes when Dimitri explains his curse is broken. There’s a smile on Dedue’s lips, and it changes his face so much he looks like a different man. When his and Felix’s eyes meet Dedue gives him a nod.

_Thank you_ , his soft gaze says. Felix nods.

“We need to tell Mercedes!” Sylvain exclaims. “Wait, I’ll get my horse.”

“Please tell her to bring more food tomorrow,” Dimitri speaks. His hand brushes Felix’s hand. “If you could all come here in the morning so we can have breakfast together, that would be great.”

Dimitri looks tense and a bit embarrassed, and yet his eye is filled with so much hope.

Felix glances at Dimitri and can’t help but smile. It's been a while when he last smiled so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading.  
> Comments are appreciated.


End file.
